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Virginia Drops 84-74 OT Contest to #6 Maryland
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Jan. 20, 2006
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia took the No. 6 team in the country to overtime, but couldn’t hang on for another upset as the Cavaliers fell 84-74 to Maryland on Friday night before a season-high crowd of 4,233 fans at University Hall.
The Cavaliers fell to 12-4 overall and 1-3 in ACC play, while the Terrapins improved to 16-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference. The game was Virginia’s 39th game in school history to run into overtime.
“(It was) just a heck of a game,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said. “I’m proud of the fact that we hung in there. We showed a lot of poise in the last five minutes (of regulation). It was a wild finish. We know how difficult it is to win here.”
“We were ineffective,” Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan said of the overtime period. “We started breaking down.”
In the first half, UVa jumped out to a 15-6 lead. UM then went on a 12-2 run to take the lead for the first time, 18-17. The Terrapins held a five-point edge at halftime, 38-33.
“I was really pleased with the start,” Ryan said. “They caught up, and then we seesawed.”
In the second half, the Cavaliers opened with a 10-2 run of their own to go ahead by one, 45-44, on a jumper by senior Tiffany Sardin (Chicago, Ill.). The teams battled within a four-point margin until the game was tied 69-69 with 1:04 left in regulation. UVa had two chances to win with missed buckets from sophomore Takisha Granberry (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sardin as time expired.
In overtime, Maryland took control of the game, scoring 15 points while holding UVa to just five. The Cavaliers, who shot 53 percent in the second half, shot just 12 percent in the extra stanza.
Sophomore Sharneé Zoll (Marlboro, N.J.) paced Virginia with a season-high 17 points and eight assists. Junior Siedah Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) followed with 16 points, while freshman Lyndra Littles (Washington, D.C.) came off the bench for 13 points.
“As much as you’d like to think this was a moral victory, this doesn’t go in the win column,” Zoll said. “We let it get away.”
Marissa Coleman led Maryland with 22 points, including three buckets from long range. Crystal Langhorne followed with 17 points, while Ashleigh Newman added 15 points. Harrisonburg native Kristi Toliver came off the bench for a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists.
Overall, Maryland out-rebounded Virginia, 35-29. UVa forced 23 turnovers while committing18.
Virginia travels to Miami (14-3, 3-1 ACC) on Sunday, Jan. 22 for a 2 p.m. game.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
1 2 OT - Final#6 Maryland (16-2, 3-1) 38 31 15 - 84Virginia (13-4, 1-3) 33 36 5 - 74